1. The Pathway Center: Guiding You from College to Calling

The Pathway Center helps 91łÔąĎ students prepare for life after college through career development and leadership exploration. You can get help writing a resume, preparing for interviews, or finding internships that fit your goals. This is especially beneficial for first-generation students navigating post-college plans. Staff helps you think beyond a job title and towards what God’s actually calling you to do. 

Whether you’re preparing for a big interview, or planning next steps after graduation, the Pathway Center is here to walk with you. Meetings are available in person or online. Just visit the Pathway Center to get started.

2. Academic Advisors who Care and Resources that Work

Every Cairn student, whether studying in person or online, is paired with an academic advisor who provides personalized support throughout their college journey. Advisors will meet with you to register for courses and give thoughtful academic advice, keeping you on track until graduation. First-generation college students benefit greatly from this type of tailored guidance. They’re not just here to sign your forms. They’re mentors. 

In addition to academic advising, our Academic Resource Center (ARC) is equipped with support for students of all skill levels. The ARC resources include a writing lab, tutoring, mentoring, disability services, and special “how-to” workshops. First-generation college students like you bring strength and determination to their studies. At Cairn, you’ll have the right resources to turn that determination into success.

3. First Generation College Student Scholarship

Paying for college can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to figure it out alone. Ninety-seven percent of our undergraduate full-time students receive some form of financial assistance. Our Financial Aid team can help you explore grants, scholarships, and loans so you can focus less on the cost, and more on the calling God has placed before you. Plus, first-generation college students can apply for a $500 scholarship to help with things like books, equipment, or other first-semester essentials. If you’d like to apply for the First-Generation College Student Scholarship, notify your 91łÔąĎ admissions counselor and they can assist you.

4. The Center for Christian Counseling & Relationship Development

College can bring challenges that go beyond coursework. The Center for Christian Counseling & Relationship Development (CCCRD) offers Christ-centered care for your emotional and spiritual well-being.

It’s a safe and caring space where you can talk through stress, relationships, or personal growth. The staff includes licensed psychologists, therapists, and master’s-level interns trained in both biblical and human sciences. The CCCRD is an essential resource for students seeking emotional support. Learn more about CCCRD resources here.Ěý

5. Community that feels like Family

The most valuable part of college isn’t found simply in what you learn, but who you walk through it with. At 91łÔąĎ, professors, staff, and students share life together. Faculty pray with each other weekly. Resident Directors and Resident Assistants check in, encourage, and challenge you to grow. Between attending chapels, eating meals with friends, joining a club, or being a student athlete, you will surely experience a culture of connection, rooted in something bigger. 

Because college shouldn’t be just a place you get a degree, it should be a place for real transformation and growth. Being a first-generation college student isn’t always easy but it’s an accomplishment to be proud of! We pray at 91łÔąĎ you will find a community that is ready to help you on your journey.

One of the biggest fears and obstacles commuters face is building community. While campus events, athletic events, and clubs and organizations are advertised as opportunities for all, it’s can be hard to feel truly welcome—especially if you have to put yourself out there and show up without a personal invitation.

While finding community might be a little harder for commuters, it is readily available to you if you want it. These are our best tips for building relationships as a commuter.

Just Show Up!

This is the easiest but also the hardest part. If you’re only on campus for just enough time to attend class, it is much more difficult to connect with other students. Give people a chance to recognize you. Don’t overschedule yourself so that you always have to rush out the door after class. Do your homework in the library. Buy a coffee from The Highlands and drink it there (bonus points if you sit next to someone you recognize and start a conversation!).

You should also give yourself the chance to take advantage of the events colleges put on. For building friendships and community, these events are a college commuter essential. They are a space to make friends, find new interests, and just have a fun break in the midst of a long week of studying. At Cairn, we regularly put on events big and small. If you want to ease yourself into a quiet atmosphere, make a fancy soda at a paint n’ sip. If you are looking to blend in with a crowd at first, consider mingling at the hoedown. These events are open to all, and they are worth staying on campus for.

Get Connected on The Right Platforms

Engaging with campus life and community means plugging in. A great way to stay informed, see some faces, and get an idea of the campus culture is to follow the university on social media and other university-based platforms. These are not ends to community in themselves, but they provide regular reminders of what’s happening on campus and invite you to experience real, in-person community.

Join a Club

Student clubs and organizations give you the opportunity to spend time with other students who have similar interests. 91łÔąĎ has over 20 clubs and organizations to choose from, in addition to DIII athletics, intramural sports, and music ensembles.

Eat in the Cafeteria

Just in case you have any hesitation, know you are welcome in the cafeteria without a meal plan. Bring your packed lunch or pay the commuter rate for a one-time meal. Sharing a meal with your fellow students is 10x better than a sad car lunch!

Contribute Your Local Knowledge

This isn’t a college town—it’s your town. You know which grocery store offers the cheapest produce, which train will take you into the city, where to catch the best sunset view, and what coffee shop has the best place to study. Resident students will figure these things out eventually, but you can use this information as an invitation: Invite a friend to join you off-campus at one of your favorite spots.

Commit to Being a Part of Community

This is the hard truth: You have to work to be included. While a resident student can retreat to their dorm room and is bound to later connect with a roommate or other students at dinner in the cafeteria, no one is going to show up in your childhood bedroom and ask you if you want to go outside and throw a frisbee.

While it does take intentionality to build community outside of the classroom, it is effort that you will not regret putting out. Commuter or resident, college friendships are some of the best relationships you’ll have the chance to make in your lifetime. Don’t miss your opportunity!

1. Psychology

If you’re interested in the human mind and human behavior, you may want to major in psychology. As a psychology major, you’ll develop both quantitative and qualitative skills. You’ll learn how to research and analyze data, as well as develop interpersonal, critical thinking, and writing skills.
Many psychology majors find careers as…

• Social workers
• Mental health counselors
• Human resource generalists
• Research assistants
• Caseworkers

2. Liberal Arts/Interdisciplinary Studies

If you have no idea what you want to do after graduation, a liberal arts or interdisciplinary studies major may be right for you. In these types of majors, there tends to be a lot more flexibility in your choice of classes, and you can take classes on race, gender, sexuality, foreign language, culture, and more.
While there is an ongoing argument that the liberal arts don’t prepare students for the workforce, liberal arts majors develop interpersonal, research, communication, analytic reasoning, and critical thinking skills. Still not convinced? once published a popular article on the trend of liberal arts majors getting jobs in America’s hubs for technology and innovation (i.e. Silicon Valley).
Liberal arts majors can pursue further studies or get trained on the job to become…

• Lobbyists
• Economists
• Museum managers
• Salespersons
• Teachers

3.ĚýCommunications

Communications is another broad field, and as a communications major, you can choose from a number of different careers. You can choose a specific focus in communications:

• Journalism, media, and broadcasting
• Public relations
• Marketing and advertising
• Business and industrial relations
• Government and politics

By majoring in communications, you’ll learn how to communicate effectively in order to form business relationships, plan campaigns, change policy, promote events, write news articles and press releases, and report on major issues on broadcast television. Communications majors develop skills in public speaking, writing, interpreting, and problem solving which are skills necessary for every field.
Communications majors may go on to become…

• Investigative reporters
• Digital marketing specialists
• Press secretaries
• Accounts executives
• Market research analysts

4. Business

If you’re not sure what you want to do after college, but want to gain practical skills for the workplace, major in business. There are a ton of career options for business majors! Whether you end up working in higher education, a nonprofit, or even venture out as an entrepreneur, every organization functions as a business and requires people who are business-minded for their daily operations to run smoothly.
With a degree in business, you may pursue a career as a…

• Financial analyst
• Benefits and compensation manager
• Real estate agent
• Business operations specialist
• Sales manager

5.ĚýEnglish

There are many people who rag on English majors, but a degree in English prepares you for a variety of contexts. You’ll learn how to think critically, analyze texts, and write clearly. Critical thinking skills and the ability to write well are skills that you can take with you to any job in any industry.
Many English majors go on to become…

• Editors
• Copywriters
• Teachers
• Marketing associates
• Lawyers

6.ĚýBiology

A biology degree isn’t just for future doctors. If you liked biology in high school, considering majoring in biology in college. You’ll study living organisms and the environment, test hypotheses, interpret scientific data, and synthesize research into lab reports. Biology majors, like many liberal arts majors, learn how to think critically and analyze their research.
With a biology degree, you can work as a…

• Conservation scientist
• Occupational therapist
• Forensic scientist
• Cellular biologist
• Disease researcher

7. Computer Science

There is an ever-increasing need for people with computer science degrees. If you’re not sure what you want to do after college, but want to make sure that you’ll find a job, computer science is one of the best degrees out there in terms of employment rates according to . Check out our article on the security of computer technology jobs in the midst of uncertainty.
Computer science majors also have a variety of opportunities as they work in scientific and technical fields, as well as in education, business, healthcare, and more.
Many computer science majors go on to become…

• Software developers
• Business intelligence analysts
• IT and support staff members
• Web developers
• Network systems administrators

Choosing your major can be difficult, but it’s not the end of the world if you don’t know what you want to do after graduation. Take classes that sound interesting, find an internship or part-time job, and talk to professors to get a better idea of what you would like to do in the future and what you should major in.